Striker assembly for firearms

ABSTRACT

A striker assembly for firearms which is bodily removable as an integral assembly from the receiver of the firearm without the need for disassembly of any other parts of the firearm. A body member supports a pivotally mounted spring loaded hammer and a pivotally mounted spring loaded sear, both of which are removably mounted on the body member, and there are cooperating locking means on the receiver and body member engageable in response to insertion of the assembly into the receiver. An ejector element is also mounted on the body member and assists both in retaining the parts in assembled relationship and in retaining the assembly in a fixed position in the receiver.

United States Patent 1 1 Dieckmann 1 51 Jan. 30, 1973 I541 STRIKER ASSEMBLY FOR FIREARMS Ralf E. Dieckmann, 3 Eleanor Street, Stratford, Conn. 06075 [76] Inventor:

[22] Filed: Feb. 11, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 10,531

U.S. Cl ..42/69 B, 42/69 R Int. Cl ..F4lc 19/00, F41d 11/02 Field of Search ..42/69 B, 69 R, 16 R, 7;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Whiting ..42/69 B Smith ..42/69 B Morrow ..42/69 B 11/1909 l/l962 8/l964 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan Att0rneyMartin D. Wittstein [57] ABSTRACT A striker assembly for firearms which is bodily removable as an integral assembly from the receiver of the firearm without the need for disassembly of any I other parts of the firearm. A body member supports a pivotally mounted spring loaded hammer and a pivotally mounted spring loaded sear, both of which are removably mounted on the body member, and there are cooperating locking means on the receiver and body member engageable in response to insertion of the assembly into the receiver. An ejector element is also mounted on the body member and assists both in retaining the parts in assembled relationship and in retaining the assembly in a fixed position in the receiver.

l7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 4% Llllllll v l p 1 PATENTEUJAI 30 Ian SHEET 1 0r 3 nyvENToR PQZ/ E /(mnm WM 2 mm W 'T PNB Y STRIKER ASSEMBLY FOR FIREARMS CROSS REFERENCES This application discloses and claims an improvement on my invention for SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL as disclosed and claimed in my U. S. Pat. No. 3,276,323, issued Oct. 4, 1966.

This application also discloses subject matter relating to a further improvement of my above noted patent which subject matter is claimed in my earlier filed copending application Ser. No. 774,325, filed Nov. 8, 1968, now US. Pat. No. 3,608,233; issued on Sept. 28, 1971.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to improvements in small hand held type firearms such as pistols and rifles, and more particularly to a striking assembly for such firearms.

It is well known in the art to which the present invention relates, as represented by U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,014,303 and 3,0l6,646 to provide a firearm having a receiver which forms a basic frame on which many or all of the operating components of the firearm are mounted. Thus a typical firearm has a receiver, a barrel connected to the receiver, a bolt or breechblock reciprocably mounted in the receiver, a firing pin carried by the bolt, a spring loaded hammer pivotally mounted on the receiver to strike the back end of the firing pin, a sear pivotally mounted on the receiver for releasably holding the hammer in a cocked position, and a trigger mechanism mounted on the receiver and operable to cause the sear to release the hammer for striking movement when a trigger element is pulled. In addition to the foregoing, a conventional firearm of the semi-automatic pistol type, in conjunction with which the present invention is hereinafter to be disclosed, is provided with a hand grip, a cartridge magazine disposed within the hand grip for successively feeding cartridges to a receiving chamber for movement by the bolt to a firing position in the breech end of the barrel, an extractor carried by the bolt for withdrawing the spent cartridge from the barrel, and an ejector usually either formed integrally with or mounted upon the receiver for ejecting the spent cartridge from the receiver chamber.

As is well understood by those skilled in the art, it is frequently necessary to substantially completely disassemble and reassemble a firearm such as that described above or a similar firearm for cleaning, oiling and other service or repair. Also, it is occasionallynecessary to perform this disassembly and reassembly under circumstances not normally conclusive to this type of work, such as in the field or on a target range. It is, therefore, a desirable feature of any firearm that the disassembly and reassembly procedures be as easy and simple as possible, and that the critical elements of the firing mechanism which require the most service be as accessive as possible with the least amount of disassembly of other components of the firearm which do not require frequent service.

It is apparent from the above description of a typical prior art firearm such as those shown in the above cited U. S. patents that the disassembly and reassembly procedures are necessarily made complicated and difficult by mounting certain of the firing mechanism components directly on the receiver. In many cases it becomes necessary to either disassemble a portion of the receiver in order to remove a hammer, a sear, an actuating spring for one or the other, or to obtain access to the interior of the receiver chamber. In many cases where the receiver is a single unitary casting and these parts are mounted on the casting by removable pivot pins, other parts of the firearm, such as cover plates, stock or handgrip must be removed to obtain ac cess to the pivot pins. Also in this situation it is often extremely difficult to reassemble the parts due to the fact that portions of the parts as well as actuating springs are located in areas within the confines of the receiver which areas are accessible only through the use of suitable tools inserted through special openings provided for this purpose. Still further, in many prior art firearms where it is relatively easier to disassemble the firing mechanism components than in other firearms, it is still necessary to disassemble thes'e components individually rather than as an assembly which is time consuming and may result in loss of parts under adverse working conditions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed toward a novel assembly of certain of the known firing mechanism components which assembly is readily and easilyremovable from the receiver as an integral assembly, and which may thereafter be easily disassembled to its individual components. I have found that the assembly hereinafter described not only obviates or substantially eliminates the foregoing disadvantages of prior art firearms, but also achieves advantages not heretofore known or expected in the art.

The present invention is readily adaptable to, and is disclosed in conjunction with, a semi-automatic pistol which comprises generally a receiver having a longitudinally extending bore with forward and rearward open ends and a barrel mounted in the forward end of the receiver and having a breech end communicating with the receiver bore which is adapted to receive a cartridge therein for firing. A bolt or breechblock is slidably carried by the receiver for reciprocable movement in the bore between a closed firing position and an open ejecting and loading position, the bolt serving to withdraw a cartridge from a grip mounted magazine, insert the cartridge into the breech end of the barrel for firing, assist in'withdrawing the spent cartridge from the barrel and ejecting it after firing, and recock the striking assembly all during a single operating cycle. A firing and extracting means is carried by the bolt for sequentially firing a cartridge upon sudden impact movement of the firing means and for extracting the spent cartridge from the breech end of the barrel in response to rearward movement of the bolt to the open ejecting and loading position. A trigger assembly is also mounted on the receiver.

According to the invention, in its broader aspects, a firing means striker assembly is removably mounted in the receiver adjacent the rearward end of the bore for imparting a sudden impact movement to the firing means in response to actuation of the trigger assembly and there are means cooperating between the receiver and the striker assembly for releasably locking the striker assembly in the receiver so that the striker assembly is bodily removable from the receiver without the necessity for any disassembly of any other parts of the firearm.

In some of its more limited aspects of the invention, the striker assembly comprises a body member shaped to fit within the bore of the receiver and rotatably received therein between opposed angular positions, a hammer pivotally mounted on the body member for movement between a striking position and a cocked position, yieldable means normally urging the hammer toward the striker position, sear means mounted on the body member for releasably holding the hammer in the cocked position and responsive to operation of the trigger mechanism to release the hammer. Thus by removal of the striker assembly from the receiver, all of the above parts are removed as an integral assembly. The releasable locking means comprises a latch type element which engages with a suitable projection on the inside of the receiver in response to inserting the striker assembly into the receiver bore, preferably coupled with a rotary motion of the striker assembly. Also, each of the above mentioned elements making up the striker assembly is removably mounted on the body member so that the assembly can be disassembled to its individual components and the assembly reassembled outside of the receiver.

A significant feature of the striking assembly is the inclusion therewith of a novel unitary retainer and ejector element which performs three functions; it retains a pivot pin for the sear means in place, it properly aligns the striking assembly in the receiver bore and rigidly maintains the alignment, and it acts as a removable ejector which cooperates with the extractor means carried by the bolt to eject a spent cartridge during the rearward movement of the bolt to the ejecting and loading position.

Having briefly described the general nature of the present invention, it is a principal object thereof to provide a firearm which avoids the disadvantages of prior art firearms and which achieves advantages not heretofore known.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a firearm which can be readily assembled and disassembled under adverse working conditions and without the use of any tools.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a firearm having an improved striker assembly which is readily and easily removable from the firearm receiver with all of its parts as an integral assembly.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a firearm having an improved striker assembly which combines the greatest possible number of operating parts into an integral assembly which is readily removable as such from the firearm.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a firearm having an improved striker assembly which can be easily removed from the firearm without the use of any tools, and in which the individual components thereof can be disassembled and reassembled relative to each other outside of the firearm and also without the use of any special tools.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a firearm having an improved striker assembly in which a single novel element performs the three-fold functions of partially retaining the striking assembly together, aligning and rigidly holding the striking assembly in alignment in the firearm and providing a cartridge ejector when the assembly is installed in the firearm.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a firearm which is relatively simple in construction, is economical to manufacture and highly reliable in operation.

These and other objects, advantages and unique features of the present invention will be more readily apparent from an understanding of the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view, partly in cross section, of a firearm which embodies the principles of the present invention and showing the firing mechanism in the closed bolt position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the firing mechanism in the bolt open position;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the details of the firing mechanism with the parts thereof in their normal positions;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the striker assembly parts shown in cocked position;

FIG. 5 is a rear end view of a portion of the firearm including the striker assembly;

FIG. 6 is a front end view of the striker assembly removed from the receiver of the firearm;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the striker assembly removed from the receiver of the firearm;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1-4 thereof, a pistol-type firearm 10 is shown which comprises a receiver 12 having a forward end 14, a rearward end 16 and a longitudinal bore extending through the receiver between the ends and defining a slide chamber 18 for a reciprocating bolt assembly, generally designated by the numeral 20 and more fully described hereinbelow. A handgrip 22 is mounted on the receiver 12 beneath the slide chamber 18 and generally adjacent the rear end 16 of the receiver, the handgrip 22 having forward and rearward sides 24 and 26 respectively and a lower butt end 28 and being inclined upwardly and forwardly in the conventional manner ofa pistol.

A barrel 30 is mounted in the forward end 14 of the receiver 12, an intermediate portion 32 of the barrel being threadedly engaged with the forward end of the receiver 12, a forward portion 34 of the barrel projecting from the receiver 12 and a rearward portion 36 of the barrel extending into the slide chamber 18. The rear end 38 of the barrel 30 is disposed at a location substantially rearwardly of the upper end 40 of the forward side 24 of the handgrip 22 and defines a firing chamber 42 (FIG. 2) for a cartridge 44 which is inserted thereinto by the bolt assembly 20 hereinafter described. A bore 46 extends through the barrel 30 from the firing chamber 42 to the forward end of the barrel.

A lower portion 48 of the receiver is provided with a guideway 50 for receiving a cartridge magazine 52, the guideway and magazine, when inserted, both extending from the forward side 24 of the handgrip 22 rearwardly and upwardly. The upper end of the magazine 52 projects through an opening 54 formed in the underside of the slide chamber 18 just far enough so that a cartridge positioned in the upper end of the magazine 52 is disposed in the path of a portion of the bolt assembly in order to be stripped from the magazine 52 and inserted into the firing chamber 42. This action is described in more detail in connection of the bolt assembly 20 and the operation of the firearm. The magazine 52 is provided with a follower urged upwardly by a spring in conventional manner and therefore not shown to feed successive cartridges to the upper end of the magazine as they are stripped therefrom and fired.

The cartridges 44 are successively stripped from the magazine 52, inserted into the firing chamber 42, fired and extracted from the firing chamber by the bolt assembly 20. The specific details of the bolt assembly 20 and the details of the manner in which this assembly is mounted in the receiver are not pertinent to the present invention, since these details comprise the subject matter of the invention claimed in my above identified earlier filed copending application. Although any suitable bolt assembly may be used with the striking assembly of the present invention, for the convenience of the present disclosure by preferred and novel firing pin and extractor mechanism is disclosed to the extent necessary to an understanding of this invention.

Accordingly, the bolt assembly 20, which constitutes the firing pin and extractor mechanism, comprises an elongate bolt 60 which is shaped to conform generally to the interior configuration of the slide chamber 18 and to reciprocate therein. The bolt 60 has a forward end 62 and a rear end 64 which projects through the rear end 16 of the receiver and partially closes the rear end of the slide chamber 18. The rear end 64 of the bolt 60 is provided with a grasping means 66 whereby the bolt 60 can be pulled back manually for cocking the firearm preparatory to firing. The bolt is further provided with an elongate longitudinal slot 68 (FIG. 5) which extends from the forward end 62 of the bolt to an intermediate rearwardly facing wall 70, the slot opening to the peripheral wall 72 of the bolt 62 and extending only part way through the bolt.

A combined firing pin and extractor element 74 is received in the slot 68, the element 74 being pivotally and reciprocably mounted in the slot 68 by means of a pin 76 passing through the bolt 60 and through an elongate slot 78 in the element 74. A spring (not shown) positioned in the slot 78 rearwardly of the pin 76 urges the element 74 rearwardly relative to the bolt 62, and another spring (not shown) in the bolt urges the element 74 in a counter-clockwise direction about the pin 76. The element 74 is a little longer than the length of the slot 68 from the forward end of the bolt 60 to the intermediate wall 70, and, when the element 74 is in its normal spring biased positions, has a forwardly facing firing portion 84 for striking the rear face of the cartridge 44 in the firing chamber adjacent the rim of the cartridge, the firing portion being disposed adjacent the forward end 62 of the bolt 60, and a tail portion 86 extending a short distance beyond the intermediate wall in position to be struck by a portion of the striking assembly to be described hereinafter.

The element 74 is also provided with a hook shaped portion 88 which is disposed forwardly of the firing portion 84 and laterally offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the element 74. The hook shaped portion 88 is an extractor for engaging a peripheral surface of the portion of the rim of a cartridge 44 to assist in removing the cartridge from the firing chamber and in ejecting it from the slide chamber 18 in a manner more clearly described below in connection with the description of the striker assembly and the operation of the firearm. The rear end 38 of the barrel 30 is provided with a slot to accommodate the extractor portion 88 when the element 74 is moved forwardly under impact from the striker assembly to fire the cartridge. Further details of the combined firing and extracting element 74 may be seen by reference to my above identified copending application.

The bolt 60 is further provided with a forwardly projecting portion 92 having a pair of resilient fingers 94 which define a gripping means for a rod 96 removably held in longitudinal alignment with the bolt 62. A coil spring 98 is mounted on the rod 96 with its forward end bearing against the rear end of the resilient fingers 94 and with its rear end bearing against a retaining member 100 secured to the rear end of the rod 96. The retaining member 100 is adapted to bear on the forward side of a pin 102 which passes through the receiver, the pin 102 serving to prevent rearward movement of the rod 96. Thus it will be seen that the spring 98 exerts a forwardly directed force on the bolt 60 and is compressed between the resilient fingers 94 and the retaining member 100 when the bolt 60 moves rearwardly, as seen in FIG. 2, either under manual actuation or as the result of firing as more fully described below.

A trigger assembly generally designated by the numeral 104 is provided for actuating a striker assembly described below for firing the pistol 10. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the trigger assembly comprises generally a trigger 106 pivotally mounted on the receiver 12 by a pin 108 adjacent the upper end of the forward side 24 of the handgrip 22. An elongate trigger lever 110 is mounted on the outer surface of the lower portion 48 of the receiver 12 beneath the slide chamber 18 by means of a slot 112 formed in an intermediate portion of the trigger lever 110 which engages with a shaft 114 passing through the slit 112 and through the receiver. The shaft 114 is part of a combined magazine release and safety mechanism which forms no part of the present invention, and the details of which are not necessary to an understanding of this disclosure. The trigger lever 110 can both pivot about the shaft 1 l4 and reciprocate within the limits of the shaft and slot connection for a purpose to be made clear hereinafter. The trigger lever 110 is also held on the receiver 12 by a projecting portion of the handgrip which overlies the trigger lever 110.

The trigger lever 110 has a tail portion 116 which projects through an opening 1 18 in the receiver and extends rearwardly to a position where the rearmost end 120 is justaposed the rear open end 16 of the receiver 12. The trigger lever 110 also has a nose portion 122 which projects through another opening 124 (FIG. 1) in the receiver and terminates at a position where the foremost end 126 is adapted to be engaged by a rearwardly extending arm 128 of the trigger 106 which is disposed rearwardly of the trigger pivot pin 108. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the trigger arm 128 normally engages with the undersurface of the foremost end 126 of the trigger lever 110 so that when the trigger 106 is pulled, the arm 128 pivots the trigger lever 110 in a clock-wise direction to cause the rearmost end 120 to move downwardly. This downward movement of the rearmost end 126 of the trigger lever 110 is the mechanical motion which actuates the striker assembly to fire the pistol in a manner fully described hereinafter. A suitable torsion spring 130 urges the trigger lever 110 in a counter-clockwise direction. Also, a suitable spring 132 acting on a plunger 134 which engages the trigger 106 below the pivot pin 108 urges the trigger forwardly. Finally, a conventional trigger guard loop 136 is suitably formed with or connected to the receiver 12.

The principles of the present invention are embodied in a striker assembly generally designated by the numeral 140. As will be described in detail, the striker assembly 140 includes a number of operating parts and is removable as an integral assembly from the receiver, thereby permitting removal of the bolt assembly and substantially complete disassembly of the firearm. The elements of the striker assembly are also readily removable from each other as a result of the unique construction and arrangement of parts of the present invention.

More particularly, the striker assembly 140, as best seen in FIGS. 3-8, comprises an elongate body member or carrier 142 which is generally circular in configuration and has a forward portion 143 adapted to fit within the rearward portion of the slide chamber 18 beneath the rearward portion of the bolt assembly 20. The carrier 142 further comprises a pair of rearwardly extending sections or walls 144 which are spaced apart to define a relatively wide slot 146 therebetween, and which are connected by a solid body portion which constitutes the above mentioned forward portion 143 of the carri- According to one aspect of the invention, means are provided cooperating between the receiver and the striker assembly for releasably locking the striker assembly in the receiver, this means preferably being an interengaging means between the receiver and the forward portion 143 of the carrier which is adapted to releasably lock the carrier in the receiver in response to rotation of the carrier between two opposed positions in the receiver bore. Thus, the forward portion 143 of the carrier is cut away at the bottom thereof to provide a latching means in the form ofa groove 150 defined by a pair of flanges 152 and 153 disposed on opposite sides of the groove 150, the groove being adapted to engage over an obstruction in the receiver bore in the form of a pin 154 fixedly mounted in the receiver 12, the flanges 152 and 153 cooperating with the pin 154 to hold the carrier 142 in the proper longitudinal position in the receiver 12. The flange 152 is cutaway as at 155 (FIG. 6) so that the flange 152 engages with the pin 154 only when the carrier 142 is in the upright position shown in FIG. 6. In a manner more fully described below, the carrier 142 is rotatable within the receiver bore between two positions in one of which the flanges 152 and 153 are engaged with the pin 154 to lock the carrier against axial withdrawal through the rearward open end of the receiver bore and in the other of which the cut away portion of the flange 152 is aligned with the pin 154 and the flange 152 is not engaged with the pin 154, thereby permitting axial withdrawal of the carrier. It will of course be appreciated that the mechanical opposite of this structure is contemplated within the invention, i.e., the provision of a projection on the forward portion of the carrier which engages within a suitable slot in the receiver to lock the carrier in the receiver in response to rotation of the carrier after the latter is axially inserted in the receiver bore.

The striker assembly 140 further comprises a hammer 156 which is pivotally mounted on the carrier 142 in the slot 146 adjacent the rearward end of the walls 144 by means of a pivot pin 158 passing through suitable bores in the walls 144 and the hammer. The pivot pin 158 is rather snug although removably received in the aforesaid bores such that it will not fall out but can be pushed out by any suitable instrument including an ordinary pencil. The hammer 156 has a longitudinal bore 160 therein which receives a strong compression spring 162, the outer end of which bears on the head of a suitable plunger 164 which in turn rests on a cross pin 165 fixedly connected to the walls 144 and serving to strengthen the rear end of the carrier 142. Thus, the hammer is urged by the spring 162 in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivot pin 158 to a position where the longitudinal axis of the hammer 156 is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the carrier 142. It will be apparent that removal of the pivot pin 158 permits removal of the hammer 156 from the carrier 142 and then removal of the plunger 164 and spring 162 from the bore 160.

The hammer 156 is further provided with a curved front portion 166 having a stepped shoulder 168 thereon for cooperation with a sear 170 for releasably holding the hammer in a cocked position. The hammer also has a striking surface 172 for striking the tail portion 86 of the firing element 74, and a thumb portion 174 for manually cocking the hammer if desired.

The sear 170 is an elongate member having a centrally located depressed portion 176 for pivotally mounting the sear on the carrier 142 in the slot 146 by means of a pivot pin 178 which passes through suitable bores in the walls 144 and the sear 170. The pin 178 is mounted somewhat loosely in the aforesaid bores so as not to restrict the pivotal movement of the sear 170 in response to a rather weak torsion spring 180 which urges the sear 170 in a clockwise direction about the pin 178, since the action of the sear must be extremely rapid in response to the spring 180 to relock the hammer 156 in the cocked position after firing. The pin 178 is held in place by means hereinafter described.

The sear 170 has a rearwardly projecting nose portion 182 which engages with the shoulder 168 on the hammer 156 when the latter is moved against the force of the spring 162 to a cocked position as seen in FIG. 4. This engagement is maintained by the sear spring 180. The scar also has a forwardly projecting actuating portion 184 adapted to be engaged by the rearmost end 120 of the trigger lever 110 in order to rock the sear 170 in a counter-clockwise direction against the force of the springs 180 to release the hammer 156 for firing. It will be seen that the actuating portion 184 of the sear 170 overlies an upwardly facing wall 186 on the forward body portion 143 of the carrier 142 so as to limit counter-clockwise movement of the sear 170. It will be apparent that removal of the sear pivot pin 178 permits removal of the sear 170 and the spring 180 from the carrier 142. V

A significant feature of the removable striker assembly of the present invention is the provision of a single unitary element forming a part of the assembly which combines with both the striker assembly 140 and the bolt assembly 20 to perform three distinct functions. This element assists in holding the striker assembly together until it is forcibly removed from the assembly; it also properly aligns the striker assembly in the firearm and rigidly maintains this alignment by preventing counterrotation of the striker assembly after the latter has been rotated to its axially locked position; and it still further functions as a removable ejector for cooperation with the extractor hook 88 carried by the bolt 60 for ejecting a spent cartridge from the slide chamber 18, or a loaded cartridge in case of misfire.

More particularly, and with reference to FIGS. -8, this element generally indicated by the numeral 190 comprises a ring shaped body portion or annulus 192 which is less than a complete circle, being interrupted over about a 45 arc of its periphery to form an opening 194. Adjacent one side of the opening 194 is a radially outwardly projecting portion 196 which forms a flat tab 196, the tab having a length substantially greater than the width of the annulus 192 as best seen in FIG. 7. The element 190 is formed of substantially low yield spring steel so that the free end 198 of the annulus 192 can be pushed outwardly by a small amount to slightly enlarge the opening 194, the annulus 192 however having a strong tendency to maintain its shape. The inner surface of the annulus 192 is provided with a pair of very small detents 200 (FIG. 8) disposed on a cord of the annulus perpendicular to the plane of the tab 196 for a purpose to be made clear below.

The element 190 is rotatably mounted on the carrier 142 on a portion of reduced diameter or groove 202 located just rearwardly of the flange 153, this portion 202 being on the legs 144 and surrounding the slot 146. The element 190 is installed by bending the free end 198 of the annulus 192 outwardly just enough to force the legs 144 through the opening 194 whereupon the annulus 192 returns to its normal shape and engages with the circular walls of the legs 144 in the groove 202 and is rotatable thereon. Installation and removal of the element 190 is made easier by starting either procedure with the free end 198 of the annulus 192 projecting into the upper portion of the slot 146, whereby the annulus 192 need not be expanded as much as is otherwise required if this is not done.

It will be noticed, however, that the sear pivot pin 178 is a little bit longer than the chord of the circle defined by the portion 202 of the legs 144 measured along the axis of the bores for the pivot pin 178 whereby the ends of the pin 178 project slightly into the path of the annulus 192 tending to expand it. Due to the resilience of the annulus, when the element 190 is turned to a position where the detents 200 are aligned with the ends of the pivot pin 178, the detents very forcibly engage the pivot pin 178 and hold the element 190 against rotation on the carrier unless forcibly rotated manually for a purpose made clear hereinafter. Thus, by the above construction and arrangement, the annulus 192 both prevents the pivot pin 178 from falling out of its receiving bores (it having been previously mentioned that the pin 178 must be loosely received in these bores), thereby effectively locking the sear 170 onto the carrier 142, and, through the cooperation between the detents 200 and pin 178, the annulus 192 also rigidly maintains the entire element 190 in a predetermined angular position on the carrier 142. The sear 170 can be easily removed from the carrier 142 by simply rotating the element 190 to a position where it can be removed and then removing the pin 178.

The second function of the element 190 is performed in conjunction with inserting the striker assembly 140 into the receiver 12 and in maintaining proper positioning of the striker assembly therein. It will be noticed from FIG. 7 that the predetermined position of the element 190 on the carrier 142 is with the tab portion 196 in vertical alignment with the longitudinal plane of the hammer 156, and this is the normal position of the parts when fully installed in the firearm 10. It will also be recalled that the striker assembly is held in the receiver against longitudinal movement therein by engagement of the groove 150, located between the flanges 152 and 153, with the cross pin 154 or other suitable projection fixedly mounted in or formed integrally with the receiver. In order to achieve this position, the striker assembly must be inserted into the receiver in a position turned about on its axis and then rotated to its normal position.

To facilitate proper alignment and positioning during and after these movements, it will be seen from FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 that the bolt 60 is provided with a downwardly facing groove 206 extending the full length of the bolt, the groove 206 being adapted to receive the tab 196 of the element 190. In order to insert the striker assembly into the receiver with the tab 196 in the groove 206, it is first necessary to manually and forcibly rotate the element 190 on the carrier 142 about 90, being sure that this rotation is not in the direction which would facilitate the element 190 being removed from the carrier; i.e., this rotation should be clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5. With the parts in this position, the striker assembly can be inserted into the receiver 12 with the tab portion 196 passing into the groove 206. It will be seen in FIG. 6, and as previously described, that the side portions 155 of the flange 152 have been cut away so that this flange will pass over the cross pin 154. The flange 153 is not so cut away and thereby arrests inward movement of the striker assembly.

Assuming that the hammer 156 is in cocked position which it must be for insertion or removal of the striker assembly, the latter is inserted into the receiver 12 until the flange 153 abuts the cross pin 154 with the tab 196 in the groove 206, whereupon the striker assembly is rotated to engage the flange 152 with the opposite side of the cross pin 154. The element cannot rotate because of the engagement of the tab 196 in the groove 206 of the bolt 60 so that the striker assembly rotates relative to the element 190. This causes the detents 200 to reengage with the ends of the sear pivot pin 178 which, due to the resilience of the annulus 192, tends to prevent counterrotation of the striker assembly 140 when in its normal position. To remove the striker assembly, it is only necessary to cock the hammer 156, manually rotate the striker assembly in the opposite direction from that in which it is rotate during insertion, and withdraw it from the rear end of the receiver 12. Thus, by the above construction, the tab 196, in cooperation with the groove 206 in the bolt 60, properly guides the striker assembly during insertion of the latter into the receiver and also properly orients the annulus 192 on the carrier 142 when the striker assembly 140 is bodily rotated within the receiver to its operative and locked position.

The third function of the element 190 is as an ejector for cartridges which function is performed during the firing of the firearm 10. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 7, it will be seen that the tab portion 196 of the element 190 has a forwardly projecting extension 208 terminating in an edge 210. The length of the extension 208 is such that the edge 210 is disposed forwardly of the'forward end 62 of the bolt 60 when the latter has moved rearwardly to a position just a little short of the rearmost position which it can attain, as best seen in FIG. 2. Also, an upper portion of the edge 210 lies in the path of a spent cartridge moving rearwardly in the slide passage 18 with the bolt 60, but on the opposite side thereof from the point of engagement between the cartridge rim and the extractor hook 88 (note FIG. 5). Thus it will be seen that the edge 210 of the extension 208 forms an abutment in the slide chamber 18 beyond which the spent cartridge cannot travel, and thereby constitutes an ejector for the cartridge. Since the extractor hook 88 continues to travel rearwardly with the bolt 60 after the cartridge strikes the ejector 210, the cartridge is caused to pivot suddenly about the point of contact between the cartridge and the ejector 210, this pivotal movement being with sufficient force to cause the cartridge to be ejected laterally through side openings 212 and 214 in the bolt and receiver respectively which openings are in registration at the instant of contact between the cartridge and the ejector 210 (see FIGS. 3 and 2 respectively).

It is thus seen from the foregoing that the element 190 performs in a unique manner the threefold functions of (l) maintaining a portion of the striker assembly, including the element 190 itself, in assembled relationship, both when the striker assembly is in the receiver and when it is removed there-from, (2) properly aligning and orienting the striker assembly during insertion of the latter into the receiver and maintaining such proper alignment therein, and (3) providing an ejector abutment in the receiver which cooperates with a rearwardly moving extractor hook to eject a spent cartridge at the proper moment in the cycle of operation of the firearm 10.

The operation of a firing cycle of the firearm will now be described with reference primarily to FIGS. 1-4. Assuming the striker assembly 140 is inserted in the receiver 12 and the parts are in the positions shown in FIG. 1, the firearm is cocked by manually pulling rearwardly on the bolt assembly by means of the grasping portion 66. As the bolt 60 moves rearwardly,

the lower edge of the intermediate wall pivots the hammer 156 in a clockwise direction far enough to permit the nose portion 182 of the sear 170 to engage with the shoulder 168 on the hammer, thereby locking the hammer in the cocked position. Also rearward movement of the bolt assembly compresses the spring 98 on the rod 96. When the bolt reaches its full rearward position, the uppermost cartridge 44 can move up to the top of the magazine 52, this movement having been previously obstructed by a key portion (not shown) formed on the underside of the bolt riding within the cartridge retaining means at the top of the magazine asis well known in the art.

When the bolt assembly 20 is released, the compressed spring 98 forces the bolt assembly forwardly with sufficient force to strip the top most cartridge from the magazine by engagement with the forward end 62 of the bolt to move the cartridge into the firing chamber 42. The firing pin and extractor element 74 is now disposed with its firing portion 84 adjacent the rear face of the cartridge, with its tail portion 86 projecting beyond the intermediate wall 70, and with the extractor hook 88 engaged with the peripheral surface of the cartridge rim after having been pivotally cammed thereover during forward movement of the bolt 60. The firearm 10 is now in condition to be fired.

When the trigger is pulled rearwardly, the trigger arm 128 engages with and rocks the trigger lever in a clockwise direction to cause the latter to rock the sear 170 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby withdrawing the nose 182 of the sear 170 from the shoulder 168 of the hammer 156 to allow the latter to pivot upwardly under the force of the compressed spring 162. The striking surface 172 of the hammer 156 strikes the tail portion 86 of the element 74 with tremendous impact and moves the element 74 forwardly to cause the firing portion 84 to fire the cartridge in known manner. The reaction force of the explosion forces the spent cartridge and the entire bolt assembly 20 rearwardly in the slide chamber 18 during which the striker assembly is again cocked as described above.

During the rearward movement of the bolt assembly 20, a camming surface 216 (see FIG. 4) disposed on the rear end of the forwardly projecting portion 92 of the bolt 60 engages with a camming surface 218 on the trigger lever just rearwardly of the portion thereof which engages with the trigger arm 128 so as to push the trigger lever rearwardly until the portion 126 is disengaged from the trigger arm 128. The trigger lever can then pivot back to its normal position under the action of the spring 130 to disengage the tail portion 120 of the trigger lever from the sear 170, thereby permitting the sear to lock the hammer in cocked position as described above. When the trigger is released, the trigger arm 128 moves downwardly underneath the forward portion of the trigger lever 110 whereupon the latter moves forwardly to reengage the trigger arm 128 with the trigger lever for the next firing operation. If it were not for this disconnecting mechanism, the sear could not lock the hammer in cocked position until the trigger was manually released and the firearm would automatically continue to fire cartridges until the supply thereof became exhausted. It is this disconnector mechanism, known per se in the art, which makes the present firearm semi-automatic rather than automatic.

When the bolt assembly has reached an intermediate position in its rearward movement, a position in which the spent cartridge is substantially over the upper end of the magazine 52, the cartridge strikes the ejector 210. Since the extractor hook 88 continues to move rearwardly with the bolt 60, the extractor hook pulls on the side of the cartridge opposite from the side engaged with the ejector 210 and the cartridge is pivotally ejected from the slide chamber through the registered openings 212 and 214 as explained above.

The bolt assembly 20 then continues to its rearward most position to allow another cartridge to rise in the magazine 52 to the uppermost position therein, whereupon the spring 98 forces the bolt assembly 20 to strip the next cartridge from the magazine 52 and insert it into the firing chamber 42 as described above, thereby again conditioning the firearm 10 for firing.

It is apparent from the foregoing that there is provided an improved striker assembly for firearms which effectively avoids the disadvantages of prior art striking mechanisms and which achieves the foregoing objects of the invention. it is to be understood that the device described and shown in this specification is merely illustrative of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the principles of the present invention, and is susceptable to change in form, size, detail and arrangement of parts, the invention being intended to cover all such variations, modifications and equivalents thereof as may be deemed to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A firearm comprising:

A. a receiver having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough with forward and rearward open ends,

B. a barrel mounted in said forward end of said receiver and having a breech end communicating with said bore and adapted to receive a cartridge therein to be fired,

C. a bolt carried by said receiver for reciprocable movement in said bore between a closed firing position and an open ejecting and loading position,

D. firing means carried by said bolt for limited longitudinal movement relative to said bolt for firing a cartridge upon sudden impact movement on said firing means,

E. a trigger assembly mounted on said receiver,

F. a firing means striker assembly removably mounted in said receiver adjacent said rearward end of said bore and responsive to actuation of said trigger assembly for imparting sudden impact movement to said firing means, and

G. means cooperating between said receiver and said striker assembly for releasably locking said striker assembly in said receiver whereby said striker assembly is bodily removable from said receiver without disassembly of any other parts of said firearm, said cooperating means comprising interengaging means on said receiver and a portion of said striker assembly responsive to rotational movement of said striker assembly between two opposed positions for locking said striker assembly in said receiver when the former is in one of said positions and releasing said striker assembly for axial withdrawal from said receiver when the striker assembly is in the other of said positions.

2. A firearm according to claim 1 wherein said interengaging means comprises an obstruction fixedly mounted within said bore of said receiver and a latching means disposed on said portion of said striker assembly, said latching means being formed to engage and disengage with said obstruction in response to said rotational movement of said striker assembly.

3. A firearm according to claim 1 wherein said means cooperating between said receiver and said striker assembly for releasably locking the latter in said receiver further comprises additional interengaging means on said bolt and said portion of said striker assembly for releasably holding said striker assembly against counter-rotational movement when said striker assembly has been rotated to said one position in which said striker assembly is releasably locked in said receiver against axial withdrawal therefrom.

4. A firearm according to claim 3 wherein said additional interengaging means comprises a longitudinal slot formed in said bolt and a member rotatably mounted on said portion of said striker assembly, said member having a first portion which engages with said slot and a second portion which resiliently grips said portion of said striker assembly for yieldably holding said striker assembly in said one position against counter-rotational movement.

5. A firearm comprising:

A. a receiver having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough with forward and rearward open ends,

B. a barrel mounted in said forward end of said receiver and having a breach end communicating with said bore and adapted to receive a cartridge therein to be fired,

C. a bolt carried by said receiver for reciprocable movement in said bore between a closed firing position and an open ejecting and loading position,

D. firing means carried by said bolt for limited longitudinal movement relative to said bolt for firing a cartridge upon sudden impact movement on said firing means, i

E. a trigger assembly mounted on said receiver,

F. a firing means striker assembly removably mounted in said receiver adjacent said rearward end of said bore and responsive to actuation of said trigger assembly for imparting sudden impact movement to said firing means, said striker assembly comprising 1. an elongate body member having a forward portion adapted to be received within the rearward open end of said bore, and having a rearward portion,

2. a hammer pivotally mounted on said rearward portion of said body member for movement between a cocked position and a striking position,

3. yieldable means carried by said body member and coacting therebetween and said hammer for normally urging the latter toward said striking position, and

4. sear means pivotally mounted on said body member for releasably holding said hammer in said cocked position and responsive to actuation of said trigger assembly to release said hammer, and

on said forward portion of said body member and l responsive to rotational movement of said body member between two opposed positions for locking said body member in said receiver bore when the former is in one of said positions and releasing said body member for axial withdrawal from said receiver bore when the body member is in the other of said positions.

6. A firearm according to claim 5 wherein said interengaging means comprises an obstruction fixedly mounted within said bore and a latching means disposed on said forward portion of said body member, said latching means including a portion of said body member shaped to engage and disengage with said obstruction in response to said rotational movement of said body member.

7. A firearm according to claim 6 wherein A. said obstruction comprises a substantially tubular projection extending across a lower portion of said bore, and

B. said latching means comprises a pair of spaced flanges disposed on said forward portion of said body member, said flanges defining a groove adapted to engage with said projection in said bore, the forward most of said flanges having a portion cut away such that said cut away portion is in substantial parallel alignment with said projection when said body member is rotated to said other of said positions,

whereby said body member is removable from said bore when rotated to said other of said positions.

8. A firearm according to claim 5 wherein said means cooperating between said receiver and said striker assembly for releasably locking the latter in said receiver further comprises additional interengaging means formed in said bolt and removably carried by an intermediate portion of said body member for releasably holding said body member against counter-rotational movement when said body member has been rotated to said one position in which said body member is releasably locked in said bore of said receiver against axial withdrawal therefrom.

9. A firearm according to claim 8 wherein said additional interengaging means comprises a longitudinal slot formed in a lower portion of said bolt and a member rotatably carried by said intermediate portion of said body member, said member comprising a first upstanding flat portion shaped to fit within said slot in said bolt and a second annular portion shaped to surround at least a major portion of the periphery of said intermediate portion of said body member, said annular portion being formed of resilient material and yieldably gripping said intermediate portion of said body member with sufficient force to resist rotation thereof within said annular portion.

10. A firearm according to claim 9 wherein there are cooperating projection and detent means provided on said body member and said annular portion respectively to yieldably hold said body member within said annular portion when said body member is in said one position of rotation within said receiver bore.

ll. A striker assembly comprising:

A. an elongate body member having a forward solid portion and a rearward bifurcated portion defining a slot therealong,

B. a hammer removably pivotally mounted on said rearward portion of said body member within said slot for movement between a cocked position and a striking position,

C. yieldable means coacting between said hammer and said body member and normally urging said hammer toward said striking position,

D. a sear removably pivotally mounted on said body member within said slot forwardly of said hammer and having a rearwardly extending nose portion adapted to releasably lock said hammer in said cocked position, said sear being mounted on said body member by means of a pivot pin passing through said body member and through said sear, said pin being received in bores formed in said body member and said sear and having a substantially loose fit therein,

E. yieldable means coacting between said sear and said body member and normally urging said sear into locking engagement with said hammer, and

F. means removably mounted on said body member adjacent said sear for holding said sear and said body member in assembled relationship, said holding means comprising an annulus mounted on said body member in overlying relationship with the ends of said pivot pin thereby retaining said pivot pin in place.

12. A striker assembly according to claim 11 wherein said annulus is laterally split and is formed of resilient material having strong resistance to deformation, and is shaped to surround and lie contiguous with the peripheral surface of said body member, and wherein said pivot pin is slightly longer than the portion of said body member through which it passes thereby having opposite ends which project beyond said peripheral surface of said body member whereby said annulus presses on said ends of said pivot pin to prevent said annulus from rotating on said body member from a predetermined position in which it is placed.

13. An integral striker assembly for use in a firearm having a receiver with a longitudinal open ended bore extending therethrough, a bolt slidably mounted in the receiver bore for movement between a closed firing position and an open ejecting and loading position, car tridge firing and extracting means carried by the bolt, and a trigger assembly, said striker assembly comprising A. an elongate body member having a forward portion adapted to be axially received and rotatably removably locked within the rear end of the bore of a receiver, and having a rearward portion,

B. a hammer pivotally mounted on said rearward portion of said body member for movement between a cocked position and a striking position in which said hammer is adapted to actuate the firing means of the firearm,

C. yieldable means coacting between said hammer and said body member for normally urging said hammer toward said striking position,

D. sear means removably and pivotally mounted on said body member for releasably holding said hammer in said cocked position and adapted to be actuated by the trigger assembly of the firearm to release said hammer,

E. yieldable means coacting between said sear means and said body member for normally urging said sear means into operative engagement with said hammer, and

F. unitary means rotatably mounted on said body member for l. releasably holding said sear means on said body member when said body member is removed from the receiver bore,

2. aligning said body member in the receiver bore in a predetermined rotational position therein and preventing inadvertent rotation of said body member when said body member is inserted in the receiver bore, and

3. providing an ejector for ejecting spent cartridges from the receiver when the bolt therein moves to the open ejecting and loading position.

14. An integral striker assembly according to claim 13 wherein A. said sear means is removably mounted on said body member by a pin which extends through a portion of said sear means and through said body member, and

B. said unitary means includes an annular portion surrounding at least a major portion of the periphery of said body member and overlying said pin thereby preventing inadvertent withdrawal of said pin from said body member. 15. An integral striker assembly according to claim 14 wherein I A. said pin is slightly longer than the portion of said body. member through which said pin passes thereby having opposite ends which project beyond the peripheral surface of said body member, and

B. said annular portion is formed of highly resilient material and is normally biased toward the peripheral surface of said body member, said annular portion having detents for engaging with the projecting ends of said pin when said body member is rotatably moved to a normal operating position within said annular portion of said unitary member.

16. An integral striker assembly according to claim 13 wherein said unitary means comprises A. an annular portion surrounding at least a major portion of the periphery of said body member in yieldable gripping relationship therewith, and

B. a flat portion extending radially away from said annular portion and lying in a plane axially aligned with said body member, said flat portion being adapted to cooperate in sliding relationship with the bolt of the firearms to releasably lock said body member in the bore of the firearm in a predetermined rotational position therein.

17. An integral striker assembly according to claim 16 wherein said flatportion extends axially of said body member beyond said annular portion to define a forwardly facing radially extending edge adapted to be engaged by a rear peripheral portion of a spent cartridge for ejecting the cartridge from the receiver bore when the bolt moves to its open position. 

1. A firearm comprising: A. a receiver having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough with forward and rearward open ends, B. a barrel mounted in said forward end of said receiver and having a breech end communicating with said bore and adapted to receive a cartridge therein to be fired, C. a bolt carried by said receiver for reciprocable movement in said bore between a closed firing position and an open ejecting and loading position, D. firing means carried by said bolt for limited longitudinal movement relative to said bolt for firing a cartridge upon sudden impact movement on said firing means, E. a trigger assembly mounted on said receiver, F. a firing means striker assembly removably mounted in said receiver adjacent said rearward end of said bore and responsive to actuation of said trigger assembly for imparting sudden impact movement to said firing meaNs, and G. means cooperating between said receiver and said striker assembly for releasably locking said striker assembly in said receiver whereby said striker assembly is bodily removable from said receiver without disassembly of any other parts of said firearm, said cooperating means comprising interengaging means on said receiver and a portion of said striker assembly responsive to rotational movement of said striker assembly between two opposed positions for locking said striker assembly in said receiver when the former is in one of said positions and releasing said striker assembly for axial withdrawal from said receiver when the striker assembly is in the other of said positions.
 1. A firearm comprising: A. a receiver having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough with forward and rearward open ends, B. a barrel mounted in said forward end of said receiver and having a breech end communicating with said bore and adapted to receive a cartridge therein to be fired, C. a bolt carried by said receiver for reciprocable movement in said bore between a closed firing position and an open ejecting and loading position, D. firing means carried by said bolt for limited longitudinal movement relative to said bolt for firing a cartridge upon sudden impact movement on said firing means, E. a trigger assembly mounted on said receiver, F. a firing means striker assembly removably mounted in said receiver adjacent said rearward end of said bore and responsive to actuation of said trigger assembly for imparting sudden impact movement to said firing meaNs, and G. means cooperating between said receiver and said striker assembly for releasably locking said striker assembly in said receiver whereby said striker assembly is bodily removable from said receiver without disassembly of any other parts of said firearm, said cooperating means comprising interengaging means on said receiver and a portion of said striker assembly responsive to rotational movement of said striker assembly between two opposed positions for locking said striker assembly in said receiver when the former is in one of said positions and releasing said striker assembly for axial withdrawal from said receiver when the striker assembly is in the other of said positions.
 1. releasably holding said sear means on said body member when said body member is removed from the receiver bore,
 1. an elongate body member having a forward portion adapted to be received within the rearward open end of said bore, and having a rearward portion,
 2. a hammer pivotally mounted on said rearward portion of said body member for movement between a cocked position and a striking position,
 2. A firearm according to claim 1 wherein said interengaging means comprises an obstruction fixedly mounted within said bore of said receiver and a latching means disposed on said portion of said striker assembly, said latching means being formed to engage and disengage with said obstruction in response to said rotational movement of said striker assembly.
 2. aligning said body member in the receiver bore in a predetermined rotational position therein and preventing inadvertent rotation of said body member when said body member is inserted in the receiver bore, and
 3. providing an ejector for ejecting spent cartridges from the receiver when the bolt therein moves to the open ejecting and loading position.
 3. yieldable means carried by said body member and coacting therebetween and said hammer for normally urging the latter toward said striking position, and
 3. A firearm according to claim 1 wherein said means cooperating between said receiver and said striker assembly for releasably locking the latter in said receiver further comprises additional interengaging means on said bolt and said portion of said striker assembly for releasably holding said striker assembly against counter-rotational movement when said striker assembly has been rotated to said one position in which said striker assembly is releasably locked in said receiver against axial withdrawal therefrom.
 4. A firearm according to claim 3 wherein said additional interengaging means comprises a longitudinal slot formed in said bolt and a member rotatably mounted on said portion of said striker assembly, said member having a first portion which engages with said slot and a second portion which resiliently grips said portion of said striker assembly for yieldably holding said striker assembly in said one position against counter-rotational movement.
 4. sear means pivotally mounted on said body member for releasably holding said hammer in said cocked position and responsive to actuation of said trigger assembly to release said hammer, and G. means cooperating between said receiver and said striker assembly for releasably locking said striker assembly in said receiver whereby said striker assembly is bodily removable from said receiver without disassembly of any other parts of said firearm, said cooperating means comprising interengaging means formed in said bore of said receiver spaced from said rearward open end And on said forward portion of said body member and responsive to rotational movement of said body member between two opposed positions for locking said body member in said receiver bore when the former is in one of said positions and releasing said body member for axial withdrawal from said receiver bore when the body member is in the other of said positions.
 5. A firearm comprising: A. a receiver having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough with forward and rearward open ends, B. a barrel mounted in said forward end of said receiver and having a breach end communicating with said bore and adapted to receive a cartridge therein to be fired, C. a bolt carried by said receiver for reciprocable movement in said bore between a closed firing position and an open ejecting and loading position, D. firing means carried by said bolt for limited longitudinal movement relative to said bolt for firing a cartridge upon sudden impact movement on said firing means, E. a trigger assembly mounted on said receiver, F. a firing means striker assembly removably mounted in said receiver adjacent said rearward end of said bore and responsive to actuation of said trigger assembly for imparting sudden impact movement to said firing means, said striker assembly comprising
 6. A firearm according to claim 5 wherein said interengaging means comprises an obstruction fixedly mounted within said bore and a latching means disposed on said forward portion of said body member, said latching means including a portion of said body member shaped to engage and disengage with said obstruction in response to said rotational movement of said body member.
 7. A firearm according to claim 6 wherein A. said obstruction comprises a substantially tubular projection extending across a lower portion of said bore, and B. said latching means comprises a pair of spaced flanges disposed on said forward portion of said body member, said flanges defining a groove adapted to engage with said projection in said bore, the forward most of said flanges having a portion cut away such that said cut away portion is in substantial parallel alignment with said projection when said body member is rotated to said other of said positions, whereby said body member is removable from said bore when rotated to said other of said positions.
 8. A firearm according to claim 5 wherein said means cooperating between said receiver and said striker assembly for releasably locking the latter in said receiver further comprises additional interengaging means formed in said bolt and removably carried by an intermediate portion of said body member for releasably holding said body member against counter-rotational movement when said body member has been rotated to said one position in which said body member is releasably locked in said bore of said receiver against axial withdrawal therefrom.
 9. A firearm according to claim 8 wherein said additional interengaging means comprises a longitudinal slot formed in a lower portion of said bolt and a member rotatably carried by said intermediate portion of said body member, said member comprising a first upstanding flat portion shaped to fit within said slot in said bolt and a second annular portion shaped to surround at least a major portion of the periphery of said intermediate portion of said body member, said annular portion being formed of resilient material and yieldably gripping said intermediate portion of said body member with sufficient force to resist rotation thereof within said annular portion.
 10. A firearm according to claim 9 wherein there are cooperating projection and detent means provided on said body member and said annular portion respectively to yieldably hold said body member within said annular portion when said body member is in said one position of rotation within said receiver bore.
 11. A striker assembly comprising: A. an elongate body member having a forward solid portion and a rearward bifurcated portion defining a slot therealong, B. a hammer removably pivotally mounted on said rearward portion of said body member within said slot for movement between a cocked position and a striking position, C. yieldable means coacting between said hammer and said body member and normally urging said hammer toward said striking position, D. a sear removably pivotally mounted on said body member within said slot forwardly of said hammer and having a rearwardly extending nose portion adapted to releasably lock said hammer in said cocked position, said sear being mounted on said body member by means of a pivot pin passing through said body member and through said sear, said pin being received in bores formed in said body member and said sear and having a substantially loose fit therein, E. yieldable means coacting between said sear and said body member and normally urging said sear into locking engagement with said hammer, and F. means removably mounted on said body member adjacent said sear for holding said sear and said body member in assembled relationship, said holding means comprising an annulus mounted on said body member in overlying relationship with the ends of said pivot pin thereby retaining said pivot pin in place.
 12. A striker assembly according to claim 11 wherein said annulus is laterally split and is formed of resilient material having strong resistance to deformation, and is shaped to surround and lie contiguous with the peripheral surface of said body member, and wherein said pivot pin is slightly longer than the portion of said body member through which it passes thereby having opposite ends which project beyond said peripheral surface of said body member whereby said annulus presses on said ends of said pivot pin to prevent said annulus from rotating on said body member from a predetermined position in which it is placed.
 13. An integral striker assembly for use in a firearm having a receiver with a longitudinal open ended bore extending therethrough, a bolt slidably mounted in the receiver bore for movement between a closed firing position and an open ejecting and loading position, cartridge firing and extracting means carried by the bolt, and a trigger assembly, said striker assembly comprising A. an elongate body member having a forward portion adapted to be axially received and rotatably removably locked within the rear end of the bore of a receiver, and having a rearward portion, B. a hammer pivotally mounted on said rearward portion of said body member for movement between a cocked position and a striking position in which said hammer is adapted to actuate the firing means of the firearm, C. yieldable means coacting between said hammer and said body member for normally urging said hammer toward said striking position, D. sear means removably and pivotally mounted on said body member for releasably holding said hammer in said cocked position and adapted to be actuated by the trigger assembly of the firearm to release said hammer, E. yieldable means coacting between said sear means and said body member for normally urging said sear means into operative engagement with said hammer, and F. unitary means rotatably mounted on said body member for
 14. An integral striker assembly according to claim 13 wherein A. said sear means is removably mounted on said body member by a pin which extends through a portion of said sear means and through said body member, and B. said unitary means includes an annular portion surrounding at least a major portion of the periphery of said body member and overlying said pin thereby preventing inadvertent withdrawal of said pin from said body member.
 15. An integral striker assembly according to claim 14 wherein A. said pin is slightly longer than the portion of said body member through which said pin passes thereby having opposite ends which project beyond the peripheral surface of said body member, and B. said annular portion is formed of highly resilient material and is normally biased toward the peripheral surface of said body member, said annular portion having detents for engaging with the projecting ends of said pin when said body member is rotatably moved to a normal operating position within said annular portion of said unitary member.
 16. An integral striker assembly according to claim 13 wherein said unitary means comprises A. an annular portion surrounding at least a major portion of the periphery of said body member in yieldable gripping relationship therewith, and B. a flat portion extending radially away from said annular portion and lying in a plane axially aligned with said body member, said flat portion being adapted to cooperate in sliding relationship with the bolt of the firearms to releasably lock said body member in the bore of the firearm in a predetermined rotational position therein. 